When Diabetes Isn’t 1st Priority

The last few weeks and the next few weeks are going to be absolute manic for me. Many things are flying around in my life such as writing up my Honours thesis. Diabetes senior camp next week, as well as maintaing relationships with the people I hold dearest to in my life. There is no room now for Diabetes! No time to be worrying over what the numbers are. Test, estimate bolus, inject, eat, power on through with the task at hand. It’s no surprise then that when I look back at the levels I have charted down (I made a little diary thing on excel recording my BGLs, insulin, exercise etc.) to see that my sugars have been following no pattern.

It is a bit scary that something else is taking precedence over my health. Everyone knows what happens to sugar levels when stress is around. They throw your sugars around terribly and sometimes even leave me in a sobbing heap over nothing. And when I’m on the way to becoming a sobbing mess because on an imminent low, how in the world am I meant to focus on my work?! The only solution I had to this that diabetes isn’t the sort to chill in the back seat without being a backseat driver of you life. My sugar levels had to be looked after to be in a good frame of mind to focus on my work at hand and to make sure that I don’t fall sick.

Just something I threw together, which helps me identify patterns between physical activity and BGLs and what I eat.

Therefore, despite everything I’m trying to stick to my routine as best as possible. This includes my gym exercise, scheduling in time to relax and spend time with my friends. Because it doesn’t hurt to take a break once in a while to let your brain and body recharge. I may come home later and my eating habits are all out of whack but I’m lucky I have a supportive mum who is always more than happy to cook an extra dinner portion to save as a take away lunch for when I’m at uni. Nutritious and delicious food. Everyone is jealous of my mum’s cooking abilities. Dead serious.

Mum’s homemade lemon tart for my Sister’s birthday

The only thing I’ve been neglecting is my fluid intake. I got out of the habit ages ago to have a bottle of water in front of me at all times and to down at least 3 bottles a day. It’s not like I don’t have a bottle (I have about three empty ones lying in my car) I just never bring them around with me! I also love my tea so I use that as another way to up my fluid intake. But I just get too lazy sometimes to walk across the campus for hot water. So that is something I have to work on. Another thing that is really important, which I neglect is SLEEP! My sleeping patterns have been absolutely disturbed for various reasons and trying to fit some sort of pattern back in there is ridiculous at the moment.

It’s hard to tell diabetes to take the back seat and shut up. It’s always there in my life and if I don’t learn to be flexible and adapt when need be, life would be hell lot tougher! It’s always good to hear how people with diabetes cope with stressful periods in their lives. So I would love to hear some tips and advice from any of you out there! 🙂

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Published by Ashley Ng

Pancreatically challenged, diabetes advocate, PhD student and dietitian - working to make positive changes within the diabetes community and healthcare setting. Although diagnosed at age of 19 with T2DM, the type of diabetes I have is under constant debate. Finally pumping as of March 2014.
View all posts by Ashley Ng